KENYA · GUIDE 0763 · EDITION 4.2
Plastic bottle collection in Kenya: Operations and Quality Checks
Deliver the agreed result consistently
Confirm bottle types the buyer accepts and how suppliers should empty and store them, separating collection plans from assumptions that all plastic packaging has an available resale market.
The operating sequence for this offer is:
- Confirm which bottle polymers and conditions a verified receiving operator accepts and check applicable collection, transport and storage requirements before starting the route.
- Separate accepted bottles from contaminated or hazardous containers at source, keeping labelled batches and measured storage limits to reduce rejected loads and nuisance.
- Record buyer-accepted weights and rejects and provide traceable handover information, avoiding a claim that every collected bottle was actually recycled.
Put acceptance into the job record
Material matches the buyer's specification and is not stored beyond safe capacity.
Deliver a sorted trial batch and compare buyer acceptance with the collection description, checking caps, labels and contamination requirements directly rather than relying on other collectors’ informal advice.
Inspect at the point where a correction is still possible, then again at handover. Record rejected or incomplete output separately from accepted output. A completed task is not automatically an accepted task, and an invoice does not establish that the customer received the right result.
Measure real capacity
Time preparation, the main operation, transport, cleaning, approvals and correction as applicable. The slowest stage determines how much you can promise. Where two orders need the same person, space or equipment at the same time, resolve the conflict before confirming both deadlines. An additional enquiry should not erase a commitment already made.
| Operating checkpoint | Evidence for this business |
|---|---|
| Before starting | Confirm bottle types the buyer accepts and how suppliers should empty and store them, separating collection plans from assumptions that all plastic packaging has an available resale market. |
| During delivery | Separate accepted bottles from contaminated or hazardous containers at source, keeping labelled batches and measured storage limits to reduce rejected loads and nuisance. |
| At acceptance | Deliver a sorted trial batch and compare buyer acceptance with the collection description, checking caps, labels and contamination requirements directly rather than relying on other collectors’ informal advice. |
| At the pilot review | Keep source quantities, accepted material types, contamination losses, loading time and buyer settlement, using the actual accepted output to decide which collection points merit repeat visits. |
Keep a correction and escalation rule
When inputs, access, specifications or customer instructions change, pause the affected work and confirm the effect on time and cost. Do not quietly lower the acceptance standard to avoid a delayed delivery. Keep rework caused by your error distinct from a customer-requested change of scope and agree the remedy clearly.
A route may fill the vehicle yet lose money when bottles are wet, mixed with unwanted plastics or rejected because the buyer’s specifications were not understood before collection.
Retain the minimum records needed to investigate a complaint without disclosing unrelated personal information. Use measured delivery and actual acceptance as the basis for expanding capacity, rather than the maximum theoretical output of a tool or production line.
Operating control points for this exact offer
| Sequence | Work method | Release checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obtain the buyer’s actual beverage-PET grade, colour/cap/label requirements and weighing/deduction terms. Verify collection/transport/storage requirements and an authorized route before pickup. | Do not claim a named recycler buys this grade without an agreement. |
| 2 | Give four premises a clear accepted/rejected photo sheet based on that agreement. Confirm release and ask them to empty liquids according to their suitable waste arrangements, not pour unknown contents at pickup. | Chemical/medical packaging never enters the beverage stream. |
| 3 | Inspect and segregate using appropriate handling protection. Keep different agreed colours/materials separate; no burning test, cutting/shredding or improvised chemical cleaning is used to improve grade. | The six sacks are identifiable and contamination is not hidden inside. |
| 4 | Record gross/tare/reject weights; illustrative 80−2−10=68 kg. Confirm the actual transport's volume capacity because lightweight bottles can fill a vehicle before weight limits are reached. | The load is contained and not assessed only by kilograms. |
| 5 | Deliver via the approved route and reconcile buyer acceptance, deductions and reject handling. Report actual destination evidence instead of claiming all material becomes new bottles. | Service fees and material proceeds remain separately recorded. |
Do not substitute a tick for an observation: record the count, measurement, approved sample or evidence reference used at each checkpoint. Mark unresolved work as held and identify who can approve the recheck.
Diagnose a failure before repeating it
| Observed symptom to investigate | Check the cause | Proposed response |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer rejects coloured bottles | Compare the agreed colour grade and sorting sheet. | Separate them and reconcile rejected weight rather than mixing deeper. |
| Sacks contain liquid | Check intake and empty-container terms. | Reject/resolve through an appropriate premises arrangement; do not hide liquid weight. |
| Vehicle fills early | Review bottle volume and contained-load capacity. | Requote suitable transport rather than overloading or scattering sacks. |
These are diagnostic prompts, not proof of the cause in a real incident. Separate suspect output, record any correction and repeat the relevant acceptance check. Link rejected units, rework time, replacement materials, customer credits and collection delays to the actual job result.